Leffler Posts Season's Best Finish in Homestead

Jason Leffler

HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA (November 15, 2003) – Jason Leffler and the Haas CNC Racing team saved the best for last by posting a fourth-place finish in the NASCAR Busch Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway Saturday.

51 Busch Series competitors vied for 43 starting spots Thursday afternoon during qualifying for the Ford 300. Leffler posted a speed of 174.650 miles per hour around the newly configured 1.5-mile track, earning the Haas Automation Racing team the 14th spot on the starting grid.

Leffler took the green flag and though he began to work his way toward the front of the field, he radioed to crew chief Bootie Barker almost immediately that the car was loose. An early caution flag on Lap 35 of the 200-lap event allowed the team to make changes to the Haas Automation Chevrolet during a pit stop the following lap. The team put together one of several great pit stops of the day and Leffler returned to the track in fourth. The adjustments made to the car helped and Leffler remained in the Top 10 for the remainder of the event. Leffler ran as high as second in the second half of the event before making a scheduled pit stop on Lap 103 for four fresh tires and fuel. The green flag flew on Lap 118 with Leffler in fifth-place and when the checkered flag was shown at Lap 200, the Haas Automation Chevrolet was credited with the fourth spot.

“We finally put together a good run without having anything unexpected happen,” commented Leffler. “The guys did a great job in the pits all day and even though we started out a bit loose, Bootie made good changes to the car to get it better and better throughout the race. It was a good day for this Haas Automation team and it gives us a little momentum going into next year. I’m proud of how hard these guys have worked in the last couple of weeks to get this team to where it is today.”

Jason Leffler and the Haas Automation Racing team will now turn their attention to off-season preparation for a run for the Busch Series title chase in 2004.